1. Understanding the Root of the problem
Roots must Respire to survive

2. A Natural Ecosystem
• A Forest Floor is aerobic and allows
water and air to easily penetrate
• Decaying organic matter
• Cycle of leaves falling and decaying
•Rich well aerated soils
•Trees flourish for hundreds of years

3.  Anaerobic Soils
 Oxygen limited condition
 Different types of microorganisms take over
 Toxic conditions created- consumption or infection of roots
• Warmer Temperatures
 Soil and air temperatures increase, oxygen demand increase
 Every 18 degrees F increase oxygen demand doubles
 Increased temperatures cause tree roots to respire, using food and
oxygen more quickly

4. Trees in turf
• No turf on the forest floor, rich organic
layer
• Landscape trees are located in turf
that rob the trees of deep watering,
nutrients & oxygen
•Denser and more overwatered the lawn
the less water reaches the tree roots
• Trees are starved of oyxgen

5. “Don’t stumble over surface roots”
 Tree roots and their search for oxygen,
 Well aerated soils with unconstrained root growth contain 15%
oxygen
 As soil oxygen levels fall below 5% root growth stops
 Soil oxygen levels below 2% roots decline and die
 Major problems that cause inadequate soil oxygen are:
 Competing Organisms- microbes that decay organic matter
 Soil Compaction- in compacted soils oxygen is near the surface
only, foot and vehicle traffic
 Water Filled Pores- excessive irrigation, poor drainage.

6. Leaf It To Me
• Leaves are removed, no organic matter
• Almost 300 million tons per year
• Almost 3 million leaf blowers sold every
year
• In 1 hour a leaf blower emits the same
particular matter as a 1999-2000 model car
driven for 49 hours at 30 miles per hour
(1470 miles),
- as much carbon monoxide as that car
driven for 26 hours (780 miles),
- as much hydrocarbons as that car driven
for 510 hours (15,300 miles).

7. Poor Soils
• Trees in natural environment
utilize natures way of watering
adding organic matter and natural
aeration
• Landscape sites are graded and
stripped of topped soil
• Sites are often compacted by
construction equipment and by
engineering methods
• Amendments are added to top 2-4”
only

8. The Bread Basket
• Dust bowel years caused by over
farming and drought
• Farmers now understand the
importance of soil preparation
• Landscapes need the same attention
• Use of practical methods
• Protecting your investment

9. The Reality
• Poor soil preparation, inefficient
irrigation scheduling, poor maintenance
scheduling, little if any fertilization, soil
compaction
issues, vandalism, stretched
manpower, low or no budgets
• As horticulturist, architects, designers
or irrigators we have a responsibility for
our urban planning and planting of trees

10. Tree Root Basics
• Root systems consist of larger perennial
and shorter lived feeder roots
• Large woody tree roots increase in size
and grow horizontally
•Feeder roots are generally located within
the top 6-24” of soil
• Feeder roots compete with lawn and other
shrub roots to compete for water nutrients
and oxygen
• As much as 50% of feeder roots grow
beyond the drip line

11. Recreation Sites
 Foot and vehicle traffic compact
soil, collapsing the soil air pores.
Park activities such as soccer,
kids playing, lawn mower
 Some site manages react to
compaction stress by adding more
water, organic matter or nitrogen.
 Results- rich mess of oxygen
demanding microbes fueled by
organic materials and nitrogen

12. The benefits of
healthy trees
• Trees are key focal points
• Remove pollution form the air
• Cooling effect by shading reflective
heat
• Add $$ to values of properties
• Add seasonal beauty

13. A sustainable vision or not, city leaders are looking
for the best.
In warranty Out of Warranty

14. Replacements are a costly undertaking
but can be preventable.

15. When water is not enough
• REALITY – Poor soil
preparation, inefficient irrigation
scheduling, poor maintenance
scheduling, little if any fertilization, soil
compaction issues, vandalism etc.
“Deep Root Watering Isn’t Always
Enough”
• Some vital things to consider when
choosing and planting a tree.
• Growth rate, life
expectancy habit and size
• Resistance to disease
•Irrigation method
• Soil Preparation
• ETC ETC

16. The History Of Rootwell
 Innovating tree care since 1997
 Partnered with Rain Bird
 2 Patents, 2 Patent Pending
 Targeted tree root solutions
o Mitigating Poor Soils
o Compacted soils and clay soils
o Oxygen and nutrient deprived soils
 Sustained measured results
o Davey Tree Study, Michigan State University Study, Anecdotal evidence
over 11 years of data

17. Notable Rootwell Installations
• Disneyland ~ Orlando, Florida
• Kew Gardens ~ London, England
• Tiger Woods Golf Course ~ Al Ruwaya, Dubai
• Olympic Village ~ Beijing, China
• The Mall ~ Washington D.C.
• 9/11 Memorial ~ New York City, New York
• National Institute of Health ~ Bethesda, MD
• San Diego Zoo ~ San Diego, California

18. The Rootwell
Advantage
 Direct active oxygen exchange to
the critical root-zone
 Direct watering to the root zone
eliminating wasteful run off
 Direct fertilization to root zone
eliminating costly waste
 Direct visual installation inspection
criteria for newly planted trees
 Direct evacuation of excess water
from the root-zone

19. Active Air Convection
Heavier Cooling Oxygen
sinks displacing warmer
rising oxygen

20. Patented: Air convection cap
Warmer lighter oxygen
rises using air convection
Cooler heavier Oxygen
sinks down exchange tube

23. •Direct Watering to the root zone
•Captures potable water and rain
water, above and below the surface
redirecting it to the root zone
•Efficient utilization of our water resource
saves on costly over watering
•As the water in the macropores drains
away a fresh supply of air enters the soil
to provide oxygen for root respiration.
James Urban, Up by Roots, Healthy Soils and Trees in the Built
Environment
•Direct Fertilization to root zone
•Deep root targeted fertilization saves
time and money
•Reduced fertilizer runoff to
aquifer, streams, rivers and lakes helps
to reduce the environmental impact

24. Out With The Old –
In With The New
• Outdated alternative methods
exists
• Perforated Styrene pipe with
cap, limited hole count, cap
prevents air circulation
• Pipes filled with gravel, pores
of gravel clog, impede water
and air movement
• New technology prevails

25. Davey Tree Study; Evaluation of Rootwell® System in the Establishment and
Health of Bare Root Transplanted Trees October, 2000
“In our (Davey Tree) opinion, proper fertilization
and proper improvement of soil aeration can
positively improve overall plant health and should
be included as a part of the plant health care
management tool. Rootwell Systems should be a
good tool to use in areas where hardscape, like
concrete, exits.”

26. Michigan State University by Bert Craigg ; Growth and physiology of
landscape trees in response to root aeration with Rootwell’s,
Objective: The objective of the current project is to determine the effect of the Rootwell root
aeration system on growth and physiology of recently established landscape trees.
With Rootwell With out
Rootwell
8 weeks after installation
Trees are located at the western edge of the campus entrance off Trowbridge Road

27. “Roots will follow rock crevices, run down joints in paving, follow underground utility lines, and
otherwise grow into the places where they can find acceptable levels of oxygen, water,
compaction, and nutrients.” James Urban, Up by Roots, Healthy Soils and Trees in the Built Environment

28. MDOT tree installation fall 2008 at East I-96 & Beck Rd in Novi,
Michigan. Rootwell was installed summer 2009.
Trees showed equal stress, coin-flip determined the Rootwell tree
Bark protector is
Rootwell indicator
Rootwell trees showed significant improvement in 8 weeks

29. Note the crown of the trees
Density and color of the foliage
Rootwell tree
comparison after
8 weeks
With Rootwell Without Rootwell

30. Predictable, substantial & immediate results with Rootwell
installation six months one year

31. Same Trees – Before and after Rootwell
before after

32. Details & Specifications
available for download
• PDF and CAD Details Available
• Written Specifications Available
• www.rootwell.com
• abolt@architecturalsolutions.us.com

33. MICHIGAN
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
SPECIAL PROVISION
FOR
Tree Pipe Wells
GWE:MJH GWE:APP:###: TES:04-23-10
a. Description. Construct a 3” diameter pipe for aeration and nutrient delivery device for all proposed tree plantings. Complete all work according to section
82061 and other applicable sections of the Standard Specifications for Construction, except as specified herein.
b. Submittals. Submit a plan showing types and locations of joints, reinforcement, and sequence of construction. Submit a report detailing the concrete mix
designs to be used, including manufacturers and/or suppliers of mixture components. Submit technical data sheet for a single manufacturer’s complete system
for products and/or materials including admixtures, colorants, curing compounds, decorative concrete sealer, dry-shake finish materials, imprinting tools, and
others requested by the Engineer.
c. Materials. Use a single manufacturer’s complete system for products and/or materials.
1. Pipe Well. Use products from one of the following manufacturers or other sources as approved by the Landscape Architect. Submit to
Landscape Architect for all non-approved manufacturers.
 Rootwell 248-227-5705
 WANE 3000 813-961-1060
 Tree I.V 620-328-3473
Material for Pipe Well.
Pipe well dimensions: 18”L x 3” Diameter. The tree pipe well aeration and nutrient delivery device shall be manufactured specifically for this purpose. It shall be
constructed of a single tubular high-density polypropylene polymer. The root aeration device shall contain sidewall openings in a horizontal and vertical pattern,
equally spaced, that span the entire length and circumference in a uniform manner providing a 5:1 ratio of sidewall openings area to total surface area equally.
The sidewall openings may number in the thousands depending on the length and diameter of the root aeration tube model. The root aeration device shall be
capable of having the sidewall shape distorted without damage to the device. The top and bottom end caps shall be constructed of a high-density styrene
polymer. The top end cap also contains the air convection insert device which shall have a flexible central tube that extends from the top cap into the tube’s
interior 5”. The flexible tube shall have an outside sidewall dimension of .3125 “, and an internal diameter of .25 “. The top cap has additional ¼” openings to
promote the convection of internal air currents with outside air for fresh air transition for increased Oxygen and Nitrogen content.
.d. Equipment. Use tools capable of producing the size and depth needed for installing pipe well shown on the Plans and/or as required by the Landscape
Architect. Use imprinting tool(s) from approved manufacturer and pattern list below, or present a substitute mat design, manufacturer, or pattern to the
Engineer for approval:
Planting pocket size: 2/3 larger then the plant ball.
Depth: Minimum of 18” deep planting pocket.
e. Construction.
1. Preparation. Place pipe well against the tree planting pocket vertically.
2. Backfill. Backfill all tree pockets with topsoil.
3. Location of pipe wells. 4 pipe wells per tree minimum. Top of pipe flush to grade.
f. Measurement and Payment. The completed work as described will be inventoried and paid for at the contract unit price using the following contract items (pay
item):
Contract Item (Pay Item) Pay Unit
Pipe well installation includes a minimum of 4 wells per tree per manufactures recommendations.

34. Practical cost review with Rootwell
•Project requires 1,000 trees
•Total installed cost with $250,000.00
•Cost per installed tree $250.00
• Tree stock, labor, equipment, replacement multiplier
•Project requires 4,000 Rootwell’s
•Total purchased cost $23,000.00
•Cost per tree $23.00 additional
•Minimal labor addition to set Rootwell into planting pit
• Water savings, deep root feeding savings and Aeration to compacted soil.
•Less than 10% of the installed cost
•What is your Mortality rate; both in and out of warranty?
•Anything over 9% will pay for the Rootwell purchase cost

35. “Urban” Root quotes
 “A lateral root will tend to grow in the same direction once it has
established its course. If it encounters an object, the root will grow
around it and then continue in roughly the same direction as before.” James
Urban, Up by Roots, Healthy Soils and Trees in the Built Environment
 “Soil moisture and compaction rates are often the greatest controlling
factors in determination root habit. The optimum level of oxygen and water
in the soil when the root became established controls its depth.” James
Urban, Up by Roots, Healthy Soils and Trees in the Built Environment
 “In soils that are compacted, the requirement to find oxygen and water will
override the tree’s internal compass, and the root will follow paths of least
resistances through the soil.” James Urban, Up by Roots, Healthy Soils and Trees in the
Built Environment

36. Thank You
Questions
Andrew Bolt
209-404-1746
abolt@architecturalsolutions.us.com